Fusion energy is having a moment. Last week, Commonwealth Fusion Energy Systems, which is backed by Google, announced it had raised nearly $3 billion in capital and would start developing a fusion power plant in Virginia. That came as a prominent Department of Energy scientist helped launch a new company to commercialize fusion. The Nuclear Regulatory Commission, meanwhile, is planning to release a new rule this fall to develop fusion energy as investors pour unprecedented amounts of money into startups. The moves raise a central question for the future of the grid: Is fusion finally at a turning point that will lead to its commercial development, or is it an industry that won’t live up to the hype? For many investors, technical advances in the past three years signal that fusion can be an option for electricity by 2035 or earlier. Investors “see the maturing of the ecosystem. They see the capabilities of the company, and they want to be a part of what will be the largest energy transformation in human history,” Commonwealth Fusion CEO and co-founder Bob Mumgaard told reporters last week. But experts caution many technical barriers remain for fusion, and some observers question whether it will be a major factor for the grid, at least before 2050.

Full report : A new fundraising round for Commonwealth Fusion Systems adds nearly a billion dollars to the growing pot for this still-unproven technology.

For more see the OODA Company Profile on Commonwealth Fusion Systems.